Fluid torque converter



April l, 1947. R. J. MILLER 2,418,362

\ FLUID TORQUE CONVERTER INVENTOR.

HTTOBNEY April 1, w47.-

R; J. MILLER FLUID TORQUE CONVERTER.

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R. J. MlLLER FLUID TORQUE CONVERTER Filed July 26, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 nrroewsy.

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UNITED 'STATES PATENT' oFFlc- E FLUID TORQUE CONVERTER Raymond J; Miner, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Hydraulic Brake Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of California 5 Claims.

This inventionV relates to transmissions, and more particularly to that type known as fluid drives.

Broadly the invention comprehends a torque converter of the type having a toroidal channel of uniform cross-sectional area and vaned members in the channel for cooperation with one another characterized in that the vanes are each of providing in conjunction with the sleeve 32 and Y a particular structure providing for positive fluid flow lines eifective for insuring the maximum r An object of the invention is to provide a blade wheel having vanes of denite structure and characteristics.

Another object of the invention is to provide a blade lwheel having equi-spaced vanes each of a particular structure developed to insure positive uid 'flow lines.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken s in connection with the drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which'- Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation and partly in section of a uid torque converter embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a` diagrammatical view of the vortex chamber and the vanes arranged therein;

Fig. 3 is'a side elevation of one type of blade;`

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatical illustration of the vane for the attainment of pre-selected flow lines;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatlcal view of a vortex chamber having arranged therein vvaries of a Amodified form;

modified vane and iiow lines attained thereby;

and

Fig. 'l is a side elevation of the modified vane.

Referring to the drawings for more specific details of the invention, I0 representsthe end plate of a conventional transmission case having a rlange lI2 proyided with a shoulder I4 and an opening I6 supporting a bearing i8. A housing 28 suitably secured to the transmission case has an opening 22 concentrically disposed with relation to the opening I6, and also suitable air inlet andoutlet openings. l

A closure plate 24 fitted in the opening 22 and suitably secured against displacement, as by bolts, rigidly supports a. sleeve 26 extended concen- .trically within the housing 2li. The sleeve 26 has the flange 36 an annular chamber 40,-the purpose of which will hereinafter appear..

A ring 42 clamped to the free ends of the sleeves 26 and 32 by a retainer 44 threaded in the sleeve 26 has an axial flange 46 terminating in a radially extended ange 48. The flange 46 in conjunction with the ring 42 and sleeve 32 provides an annular chamber 50 arranged in oppositely disposed relation to the annular chamber 4U. The radially extended flange 48 provides a wall portion of a balancing chamber 52, and the ring 42 is bored to provide a plurality of spaced passages 54 in direct communication with the balancing chamber. l

The closure plate 24 is bored to provide a group of spaced passages 56 communicating with the spaced passages 54 in the ring 42 by way of passages 58 extended through the sleeve 26, and also a group of spaced passages 80 terminating in ports 62 in the body of the sleeve 32,` and a manifold 64 suitably secured to the closure plate 24 has separate channels 66 and 68 communieating with the passages 58 and 60 respectively. The channel 66 is suitably connected to the outlet of a reservoir, not shown, and the channel 68 is connected to the inlet of the reservoir.

The stationary sleeveV 28 has fitted therein spaced bearings 'l0 and 12 supporting a driving shaft 14, adapted to be connected as by a flange 'i6 to a power plant or an internal combustion engine, and sleeved on the shaft adjacent the bearings are suitable sealing rings 18 and 80 for inhibiting seepage of lubricant from the bearings and also uid from the torque converter to be hereinafter described.

An impeller indicated generally at 82 includes a hub 84 splined to the driving shaft 14 and held against displacement as vby bearings 86 sleeved on the shaft and secured against displacement by a retaining ring 88 threaded in the free end of the shaft. The hub 84 has a web Sllsupporting" an outer shroud 92. The web and shroud in conjunction with the ring 42 complete the balancing chamber 52, and the shroud has an opereing 94 therethrough communicating with the balancing chamber, and arranged on the back of the shroud is a part of a labyrinth seal 96 complementary to the remaining part of the seal on the iiange 48 and operative to effectively-seal the balancing chamber. The shroud 92 has arranged thereon a plurality of equi-spaced impeller blades 98 supportingw an inner shroud |80. The particular structure of the blades 98 will be hereinafter fully described. l

A turbine indicated generally at |02 is secured to a driven shaft |04 supported for rotation on the bearing I 8 in the end plate |0 of the transmission casein axial alignment with the driving shaft. The turbine includes a hub |08 splined to the driven shaft |04 and held against displacement by a retaining nut |08. The hub has a iiange for the reception of the bearings 88 on the driving shaft 14, and interposed between:l the ange ||0 and the web 80 of the impeller is a fluid seal ||2. The hub also receives a bearing ||4 supported on an end plate ||8 of the housing 20 and held against displacement as by a retaining ring ||8 threaded on the hub, and a seal |20 secured to the end plate' ||6 adjacent-the bearing ||4 has a wiping engagement with the driven shaft.

The hub |06 haslthereon an outer shroud 22 having bolted or otherwise secured thereto a housing section |24 having a bearing support |28 for the reception of a bearing |28 sleeved on the shank 28 of the stationary sleeve 26, and a fluid seal |30 having a wiping engagement with the threaded sleeve 32 supported on the sleeve 28. The outer shroud |22 of the turbine and the housing section |24 vsecured thereto provide in conjunction with the outer shroud 92 of the impeller a vortex chamber |32 of the uniform channel type disclosed in my co-pending application for improvements in Fluidtorque converters, flied October 8, l1942, Serial No. 461,351, and an auxiliary fluid chamber |34, the latter communicating by way of the ports 82, the passages 60 and the channel 88 of the manifold 64 with the inlet of the reservoir for the return of fluid thereto.

As shown, the turbine |02 is of the three-stage type. The iii-st stage |36y at the discharge of the impeller includes a plurality of vanes |38 mounted in spaced relation to one another on an outer .shroud |40 and secured to an inner shroud section |42. The second stage |44 includes a plurality of vanes |46. arranged on the outer shroud |22 and secured to an inner shroud |48, and the thirdv stage |50 includes a plurality of spaced vanes |52 also mounted on the outer shroud |22 1 and secured to an inner shroud section |54 attached as by a ring |56 to the shroud section |42.

i vanes |18 movable concomitantly with the reac- The turbine also has two sets of rectifyng vanes i 58 and |60. The rectifying vanes |58 are forward of the second stage |44 of the turbine and serve to direct the flow of iluid to the vanes |46 of the vsecond stage, and the rectifying vanes |60 are forward of the third stage of the turbine and serve to direct the ow of uid to the vanes |52 thereof. The vanes and the rectifying vanes of the turbine are of a particular structure to be hereinafter fully described.

A reaction member |62 for cooperation with the impeller and turbine includes a carrier |64 mounted for travel on the threaded sleeve 32 fitted on and secured to the stationary sleeve 28. 'I'he ends of the carrier are adapted to be received by the annular chambers 40 and 50, respectively, to absorb shock in' both directions of movement. The carrier |64 has thereon a web |66 supporting a shroud section |68 having arranged thereon a .plurality of spaced reaction vanes 10 movable into and out of the fluid channel between the vanes |38 of the flrst stage of the turbine and the rectifying vanes |58. The reaction vanes I 10 support an inner shroud. |12 having arranged l thereon spaced overdrive vanes |14 adapted to -r move into the fluid channel when the reaction vanes |10` move out of the channel, and vice versa. The overdrive vanes |14 support a shroud section tion vanes |10 into and out of the fluid channel between the vanes |48 of the second stage of thev turbine and the rectifying vanes |80, and the reaction vanes support an outer shroudl |80.

As hereinabove stated, the vortex chamber |32 is of the type disclosed in my co-pending application wherein the cross-sectional area o! the toroidal circuit is uniform throughout. In other words, the toroidal circuit is characterized in that the iiuid in the circuit has the same innite volume at any annular cross-section of the circuit.

Having such a fluid circuit in' mind, and being desirous oi? improving the same, it has been found that by pre-selecting the uid ilow lines maximum eiiciency maybe attained. The pre-selected duid streamline character has one of its side edges presenting a low pitch angle |82 and a low lift |84 and its other side edge has a relatively high pitch angle |88 and a high lift |88. The pitch angle .varies across the vane as is most clearly shown at a, al, a, a3, and a4, and the lift also varies across the vane as indicated at b, b1, b3, b3, and b4. By the introduction of vanes of the character hereinabove described in a vortex chamber of the type having a uniform cross-sectional area, the ilow lines would be substantially as indicated at c, c1, c, c3 and c4 and such flow lines have heen proved to provide the maximum eiiciency.

In normal operation, rotation of the impeller 82 by force transmitted through the driving shaft 14 results in energization of the fluid in the vortex chamber |32, and the energy of the fluid is absorbed by the vanes |38, |46 and |52V of the turbine, also on the rectifying vanes |58 and |60 of the turbine and the reaction vanes |10 and |18 of the reaction member, resulting in rotation of the turbine and the consequent transmission of force through the driven shaft |04.

Upon attaining a predetermined speed of rotation of the impeller and associated turbine, the flow of fluidin the vortex chamber changes, and the uid Jimpinges on the backs of the reaction vanes |10 and |18. This results in automatic movement of the reaction member |62 on the threaded sleeve 32 secured to the stationary sleeve 26, and as the reaction member |62 travels on the threaded sleeve, thereaction vanes |10 and |18 are moved out of the duid :dow in the toroidal channel and the overdrive vanes are moved into the channel. Toward the end of this movement,

the carrier |64 is received by the annular chamber 40, and this serves to absorb the shock as it assumes its fully retracted position. Upon completing this operation, the unit functions as a iluid coupling.

When operatingthe unit as a iluid coupling, should a demand for increase in torque occur, the direction of the -fluid flow in the vortex channel again changes and the fluid in the channel impinges on the face oi' the overdrive vanes |14, and this results in travel of the reaction member |62 on the threaded sleeve 32. During this travel of the reaction member, the overdrive vanes |14 are moved out of the channel and the. reaction vanes |10 and |18 are moved into the channel.

Toward the end of this operation, the carrier 64 is received by the annular chamber 50, and this serves to absorb shock as the reaction member moves to a position where the reaction vanes |10 and |16 are fully within the channel, in

anases which position the reaction member is held against movement.

In Fig. 5 a vortex chamber 200 of the type having a uniform cross-sectional area has therein impeller blades 202, rst, second, and third stage turbine vanes 200, 203, and 208, rectifying vanes 2|0 at the entrance of the second stage of the turbine, also rectifying vanes 2|2 at the en trance of the third stage of the turbine, reaction vanes 2id and 2l6 between the vanes 204 'of the first stage of the turbine and the rectifying vanes 2MB, and between the vanes 206 of the second stage of the turbine and the rectifying vanes 2 I 2, and also overdrive vanes 2I8 adapted to move into the channel as the reaction vanes move out of the channel. The structure is identical to that of the preferred embodiment with the exception of the structure of the vanes.

In this embodiment of the invention, each va ie is of streamline character with a low lift 220 at one edge and a relatively high lift 222 at its opposite edge. The lift varies as indicated at d, d1, d2, d3, and d4, and the pitch remains constant as indicated at e, e1, e2, e1 and e4, and, accordingly, the iiow lines would be maintained substantially as indicated at f, f1, f2, f3 and f4 wherein a high Having thus described the various features of I the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A blade wheel comprising inner and outer shrouds each curved in the direction of ow through the wheel, spaced vanes between the shrouds each curved in a direction extending from one shroud to lthe other andhaving a streamline contour and a graduated thickness increasing from the inner shroud to the outer shroud providing a low lift at the inner shroud and a high lift at the oute;` shroud, and a constant pitch angle.

2. A blade wheel for a fluid transmission of the type having a toroidal channel including spaced inner and outer shrouds, spaced vanes between the shrouds each curved in a direction extending from one shroud to the other having a. streamline contour and a graduated thickness increas-` ing from the inner shroud to the outer shroud providing a low lift at the inner shroud and a high lift at the outer shroud, and a constant pitch angle, l

3. In a fluid transmission of the type having a toroidal channel, wheels each including inner and outer shrouds, fluid energizing vanes between the inner and outer shrouds of one of the wheels, and vanes for receiving energy from the fluid between the inner and outer shrouds of the other wheels, each of the vanes having a streamline contour and a graduated thickness from the inner to the outer shroud providing a low lift adjacent its inner shroud and high lift adjacent its outer shroud, and a constant pitch angle.

4. In a uid transmission of the type having a toroidal channel of uniform cross-sectional area, wheels each including inner and outer shrouds, uid energizing vanes between the inner and outer shrouds of one of the wheels, and vanes for receiving energy from the iiuid between the inner and outer shrouds of the other wheels. each of the vanes having a streamline contour and a graduated thickness from the inner to the outer shroud providing a low lift at its inner shroud and high lift at its outer shroud, and a constant pitch angle whereby uniform flu'id flow throughout the channel is attained.v

5. In a uid transmission of the type having a toroidal channel of uniform cross-sectional area, wheels each' including inner and outer shrouds providing in part the inner and outer walls of the channel, fluid energizing vanes between the shrouds of one of the whee1s,and vanes for receiving energy from the uid between the shrouds of each of the other wheels, said vanes each having a streamline contour and a. graduated thickness from the inner to the outer shroud providing a varying lift gradually increasing from its inner shroud to its outer shroud. and a ccnstant pitch angle. 4

RAYMOND J. MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this' patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,306,758 Schneider Dec. 29. 1942 2,304,721 Werther Dec. 8, 1942 2,306,639 Miller Dec. 29, 1942 2,351,517 Jandasek June 13, 1944 I 

